Ash-box.



E. F. JONES & c. A. BARNES.

ASH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1909.

Patented 0ct.4, 1910.

2 snnnr8snnm 1.

il'iiiii 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HIM

ASH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1909.

E. F. JONES & G. A. BARNES.

\M m wwa zi TTNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

EVAN FRANK JONES AND CHARLES ADRAIN BARNES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ASH-BOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EVAN FRANK JONES and CHARLES ADRAIN BARNES,citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements inAsh-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming apart of this specification.

Our invention relates to ash boxes for locomotives and the like and hasfor its object the removal of certain disadvantages to which they havehitherto been subject.

In most of the methods employed in dumping the contents of the ash boxesof locomotives, it is necessary for the fireman or engineer to crawl inbeneath the engine, or, at any rate, to descend from the cab onto thetrack. Owing to the fact that it may become necessary to dump thecontents of the ash box at almost any point on the route, and often inplaces where trains are continually passing and where shunting is beingcarried on, accidents very frequently occur to firemen and engineerswhile they are engaged in dumping the ashes. Another disadvantage of theash box as at present used is that their contents are liable to freezesolid in cold weather, whereby dumping is rendered practicallyimpossible.

It is one of the objects of our invention, therefore, to provide an ashbox for locomotives or the like, the contents of which may be dumpedwithout there being any necessity for the fireman or engineer to descendfrom the cab.

Another object of our invention is the providing of an ash box forlocomotives with means whereby its contents are prevented from becomingfrozen in cold weather.

An embodiment of our invention is illustrated, by way of example, in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of aportion of a locomotive carrying an ash box constructed in accordancewith our invention, the lower portion of one side of the ash box beingbroken away to show the interior parts; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectiontaken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view,the section being taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a Verticalsection taken on the line 4-4 of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 21, 1909.

Patented Got. 4, 1910.

Serial No. 514,072.

Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing amodified means for effecting the dumping operation; and Fig. 6 is avertical section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout thespecification and in the various figures of the drawing.

The ash box 10 is formed at its lower side with a number offunnel-shaped chutes 11, the chutes being, in the construction illustrated, three in number. The lower ends of the chutes 11 are open butare arranged to be closed by movable gates, so that, when the gates areclosed, ashes will be retained in the box and prevented from falling onthe track, while the gates may be opened when it is desired to dump theashes.

In carrying out our invention we insert into the open end of each chute11 a rectangular annular casting 12, each of which castings is providedwith bearings for receiving a gateoperating shaft 13 which extendslongitudinally of the ash box through each of the castings 12. Mountedupon the shaft 13 within the end of each chute is a normally horizontalgate 14 which closes the chute and prevents the ashes from escapingtherefrom. The shaft 13 is squared (see Figs. 3 and 4), or other meansare provided for preventing rotation of the gates 14 relatively to theshaft 13, and it will thus be seen that when the shaft is rocked through90 degrees, the gates 14 will be moved from their horizontal position,shown in full lines in Fig. 2, to their vertical position, shown indotted lines in the same figure, in which position ashes can escape fromthe ash box. In order that this rocking movement of the shaft 13 may beeffected, a sprocket wheel 14 is provided upon the rear end of the shaft13, and is connected, by means of a chain 15, with a second sprocketwheel 16 mounted in the cab of the engine. This last sprocket wheel isprovided with a handle or the like 17 by means of which it may berotated to cause the rocking movement of the shaft 13 required to openor close the gates 14.

It will be seen that, by the use of this device, there is no necessityfor the fireman or engineer to descend from the cab in order to effectthe dumping of the contents of the ash box. When the ashes are to bedumped, it is merely necessary to turn the sprocket wheel 16 asuflicient amount to cause the opening of the gates 14, whereby theashes are allowed to drop out of the box. lVhen the box is emptied, thesprocket wheel 16 is turned in the opposite direction to close thegates.

In order to prevent the freezing up of the contents of the ash boxduring cold weather, we form each casting 12 with an outwardly extendingperipheral bead. This bead is hollow and forms two substantiallysemiannular steam chambers 18, one on each side of the bearing in whichthe shaft 13 is mounted. A perforation 19 permits the passage of steamfrom each steam chamber 18 to the interior of its particular chute, sothat steam will circulate in the chamber 18 and flow out through theperforation. The circulating steam prevents the freezing of the contentsof the chute. Steam is admitted to the chambers 18 by means of branchpipes 20 on either side of the ash box connected by means of verticalpipes 21 with a source of supply of steam. This source of supply may bethe boiler of the locomotive or a branch pipe leading from the exhaust.In warm weather there is, of course, no necessity to admit steam to thechambers 18.

In some cases it may be desirable to provide a more powerful method ofactuating the shaft 13 than is afforded by the chain and sprocket devicedescribed above. In such cases we may provide the shaft 13 with a crank22 (see Figs. 5 and 6). This crank is arranged to be moved through aquarter of a revolution by the action of a piston 23 mounted in acylinder 2%. The cylinder 24 is connected, above the piston, to a pipeleading to the compressed air tank of the locomotive by means of apipe26 and is connected, below the piston, to the pipe 25 by means of a pipe27. A three-way cook 28 is provided for admitting compressed air to thepipe 26 or to the pipe 27 or for shutting off the air altogether, asdesired. lVhen compressed air is admitted to the pipe 26, the piston 23is forced downward and the shaft 13 thereby rocked to open the gates 14.hen it is desired to close the gate 14: the valve 28 is operated toadmit air to the pipe 27 whereby the piston is forced upward and theshaft 13 rocked back to close the gates. In order to definitely maintainthe gates in their closed position, a suitable spring, such as 29, maybe provided, if de sired.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An ash box for locomotives comprising a plurality of chutes, eachhaving a discharge opening in the lower end thereof, a plurality ofannular castings arranged to be secured in said discharge openings, ashaft extending centrally across said castings and having bearingstherein, gates mounted on said shaft, said gates being arranged tonormally close said discharge openings, and means for rocking said shaftwhereby said gates are opened.

2. An ash box for locomotives comprising a plurality of chutes eachhaving a discharge opening in the lower end thereof, a plurality ofannular castings arranged to be secured in said discharge openings, ashaft extending centrally across said castings and having bearingstherein, gates mounted on said shaft, said gates being arranged tonormally close said discharge openings, a crank carried by the rear endof said shaft, a compressed air motor arranged to operate said crank torock said shaft whereby said gates are opened, and a valve located inthe cab of the engine for controlling the supply of compressed air tosaid compressed air motor.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names in thepresence of two witnesses.

EVAN FRANK JONES. CHAS. ADRAIN BARNES.

lVitnesses CHARLES G. Corn, CHAS. CLAUDY.

